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(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1.

A. HUDSON.

ANTIMONY FURNACE.

No. 286,200. Patented Oct. 9, 1883.

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No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet, 2.

A. HUDSON.

ANTIMONY FURNACE. :1 No. 286,200. Patented Oct. 9, 1883.

m fl esses N. PETERS Pholn-Lilhographcn Winhillgibn. n. c.

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ARTHUR HUDSON, OF NEXVTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

Ant mony/FURNACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 286,200, dated October 9, 1883. Application filed January 2, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom itmrty concern: I

Be it known that I, ARTHUR Henson, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newton, in the county of Mi ddleseX and State of Mas sachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Anti mony-Furnaces; and I do hereby declare that the same are fully described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in antimony-turnaces for producing the regulus of antimony from its native metals with the least amount of loss of volatile oxides of antimony and sulphur, and it is carried out as folhad to the accompanying my improved antimony-furnaee. Fig. 2 rep resents a horizontal section on the line A 13; and Fig. 3 represents a cross-section on the line C 1), shown in Fig. 1.

Similar letters refer to similar parts wherever they occur on the different parts of the drawings.

a represents the ore, which, after being crushed, as usual, or its tersulphuret previously separated from its gangue or mineral matters, is introduced through the hopper 1) .into the muftle a, where it is roasted by the heat from the furnace c, the products of which, after passing around the rear end of the mutl'le (I, ascend through the chimney (l in the on dinary way. The hopper b has a cover, Z), at its upper end, and a movable gate or valve, 7/, as shown in Fig. 1, which is closed after the mut'fle is charged, to prevent the gaseous products from the mut'tle from escaping through said hopper. The front of the muftlc c has a removable door or gate, a, by which the sup ply of air is regulated to combine with the ore during the process of producing the oxide of antimony, and is adapted to be fully opened when desired to'discharge the mufiie of its residue, or in rabbling the contents. At the rear of the muffle a is an opening, a, which leads into the first condensingchamber, c, which has an opening or channel, 6, leading into a similar second con(lensing-chamber, f, having an opening or channel, f, leading to the third condensing-chamber; g, as shown. Said condensing-chambers are made of brielc work or suitable masonry, and are each proforced down through sieve m, located within and attheupper end of the chimney i', and. couneeted to a suitable stand-pipe, at, through which cold water is forced by means of a suit; able pump or other equivalent means.

K is an inclined solid shelf near the lower end of the inside of the chimney 1 from which the condensed.products are conducted through channel Kto the receptacle a, as shown in Fig. 1.

The operation is as follows: The ore a ,after being crushed, as usual, or previously separated from its gangue or mineral matters, is placed in the mutlie a, where it is roasted by the heat from the products of the furnace c, and by such roasting the ore is made to produce oxide of antimony, incidentally volatile oxide of antimony and sulphurous acid, which both pass together out from the mutlle a into the condensingchambers cf upon the inner walls of which the volatile oxide of antimony is deposited in the form of a powder, which is from time'to time drawn out through the doors df g. The sul )luu:ousaci d passes on through the flue 7L and over the niter-pot h, and by coming in contact with the niter contained in said receptacle h it is converted into gaseous sulphuric acid, which ascends through the chimney or tower 1, and through the coke or pumice-stone 1 contained on the shelves or grates 7th 7.2 therein, and is condensed into the form of liquid sulphuric acid by the descending spray or stream of cold water from the sieve or pipe at, such liquid sulphuric acid being conducted through channel K into the acid vat orreceptaelea, from which itis drawn through the stop-cock a. ,After the ore has been roasted sufficiently in the muti'le a. the door a is opened and the contents of the muflie withdrawn and allowed to cool in the chamher 0, which is located below the ash-pit c, and is provided in front with a suitable cover,

0, which is swung open to allow the ore to drop directly into the chamber 0 when withdrawn from the muffle. The cover 0 is then closed and the valve 1) is opened to allow the remaining volatile oxide of antimony and sulphurous acid to pass through opening 1) into condensing chamber 1), and thence through opening q into the series'of condensing-chambers e, f, and g, in the same manner as above described in treating the ore originally. q is a valv e to close the opening q when the muffle a is in operation.

Heretofore antimony has been produced in reverberating-furnaces, and without any condensing chambers or means for saving the volatile oxide of antimony and sulphurous acid, and eonsequentlya great loss has been occasioned in the process well as deteriorating the atmosphere of the neighborhood of the works, destruction of vegetation, and in jury to health of the operatives. With my improved method and apparatus these obj cctions are overcome, as I am able'to save and utilize nearly all of the volatile by-product-s,

as well as preventing any deterioration of the atmosphere.

What I claim is- The herein-described improved antimonyfurnace, consisting of muffle a, furnace 0, one or more condensing-'chambers, e f g, nitratepot h, the condensing-tower i, with its shelves or grates 7c 70 7c, coke or pumice-stone Z, and water pipe and sprinkler m m, as and for the purpose set forth. g

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR HUDSON.

Vitnesses:

ALBAN ANDREN, HENRY CHADBOURN. 

